


the colours hate me

by occasionally_always



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Chatting & Messaging, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff and Angst, The Magnus Archives Season 1, but spoilers for future seasons, chatfic, lowkey polychives, they're gonna be okay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:40:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27625541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/occasionally_always/pseuds/occasionally_always
Summary: Timothy Stoker: soTimothy Stoker: robert smirkeMartin Blackwood: Wasn't he that architect from the 19th century?Sasha James: ah yes, your celebrity crush--local og archives crew attempts to find answers, causes chaos, the usual
Relationships: Martin Blackwood & Sasha James & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker
Comments: 115
Kudos: 189





	1. and so we begin

**Author's Note:**

> hello and welcome to season one of tma but they're figuring out the fears and it's a chatfic :) i never thought i'd be on the writing side of the chatfic craze but here we are. i have the beginnings of a plot figured out but none of the relationships (or even if certain characters are coming back to life or not...) so we'll see what happens! thanks for reading <3 (also please check out all of us were there by ghoulemporium, an amazing chatfic that was part of what inspired me to write this)

**_Timothy Stoker_** _created a chat:_ ** _i know im supposed to be working but im_** **_bored whats up_**

**_Timothy Stoker_ ** _ added three numbers _

**Timothy Stoker:** heeeeeey boooois

**Martin Blackwood:** Oh no

**Sasha James:** oh god

**Jonathan Sims:** No thank you

**Timothy Stoker:** ok first of all rude

**Sasha James:** second of all?

**Timothy Stoker:** uhhh

**Jonathan Sims:** This kind of deep thought might take him a while, I'm going back to work

**Timothy Stoker:** no waitwaitwait jon ily don't leave me just for work

**Jonathan Sims:** I'm literally at my job

**Jonathan Sims:** And so are you.

**Timothy Stoker:** SECOND OF ALL this is a fun bonding group chat yay!! everyone give hearty approval!!

**Sasha James:** wow tim what a great idea! i approve in a hearty manner!

**Jonathan Sims:** No.

**Timothy Stoker:** sasha 10/10 thx queen

**Timothy Stoker:** jon try to put a little enthusiasm into it next time

**Timothy Stoker:** a little more 'oomph'

**Jonathan Sims:** Sometimes i don't understand a word you say, you know that?

**Sasha James:** martin's been suspiciously quiet

**Martin Blackwood:** Sorry!! just, yknow, actually trying to get some work done haha

**Timothy Stoker:** aksksksk the passive aggressiveness??

**Martin Blackwood:** I didn't mean to be passive aggressive, sorry :/

**Timothy Stoker:** there's no way you're not doing this on purpose

**Martin Blackwood:** Uh huh but can we talk about the fact that your keysmash was just sksksk

**Martin Blackwood:** Not to judge anyone but?? yikes

**Sasha James:** note to self martin is absolutely savage over text

**Sasha James:** anyway regarding tim's suspicious keysmashing habits, you get used to it

**Jonathan Sims:** It's been years and I have NOT gotten used to it

**Timothy Stoker:** you know you love me

**_Jonathan Sims_ ** _ is typing... _

**Timothy Stoker:** jon??

**Timothy Stoker:** jon you love me right???

**Jonathan Sims** is typing...

**Jonathan Sims:** Hm.

**Jonathan Sims:** Back to work everyone. We can't afford to take any time off from organizing this mess

**Timothy Stoker:** yeah he loves me

**Martin Blackwood:** Who has that frog statement

**Timothy Stoker:** that WHAT statement

**Sasha James:** i still do it's in the stack on my desk

**Martin Blackwood:** I'd like to cross reference it with the one i'm researching rn, can you bring it to me :)

**Sasha James:** literally just walk over and get it

**Sasha James:** you didn't even have to text you're in the same room as all of us

**Martin Blackwood:** Sorry, i'm listening to music and don't want to pause it

**Martin Blackwood:** And jon’s in his office so i’m actually  _ not _ in the same room as all of you :)

**_Sasha James_ ** _ is typing… _

**Martin Blackwood:** Sasha?

**Sasha James:** fine here you go

**Jonathan Sims:** What is going on out there?!

**Timothy Stoker:** can we go back to there apparently being a statement about a frog? someone tell me about this frog pls

**Jonathan Sims:** No first someone's telling ME about why i heard something crash

**Timothy Stoker:** sasha just swept a pile of statements onto the floor and a mug of coffee went with them but that's not important bc frog?????

**Jonathan Sims:** Excuse me, there are statements on the floor? With coffee?

**Jonathan Sims:** I understand the desire to be unnecessarily dramatic but that is not worth spilling coffee on statements for

**Sasha James:** you seem calmer about this than i thought you would be

**Jonathan Sims:** Underestimating my anger right now would be a very bad idea

**Martin Blackwood:** A shiver just went down my spine

**Sasha James:** ..noted anyway there was hardly any coffee left the statements are fine

**Sasha James:** and to think all this could have been avoided if martin had just walked over to get it himself

**Martin Blackwood:** :///

**Timothy Stoker:** heyheyhey if i don't hear about the frog statement in two seconds i am going to murder someone

**Sasha James:** okay we get it you like frogs

**Timothy Stoker:** they're aro culture and i love them

**Sasha James:** but if you want to commit murder you're going to have to get in line behind jon, the vibes radiating from his office right now are very kill much death

**Timothy Stoker:** he angy

**Timothy Stoker:** you shouldn't have desecrated his precious statements sash

**Sasha James:** do you want to hear about the frog or not

**Timothy Stoker:** frogfrogfrogfrogfrog

**Sasha James:** basically someone was having dreams about a huge frog eating them

**Sasha James:** then when they were out camping they kept feeling like they were being watched

**Sasha James:** and noted "a suspicious lack of flies"

**Timothy Stoker:** akskkssk i got so hyped for nothing

**Jonathan Sims:** Ah yes. That one was a delight to record.

**Sasha James:** please tell me that was sarcasm

**Jonathan Sims:** Sasha, why in hell would I genuinely find it delightful to read aloud someone's delusions about a demonic frog

**Martin Blackwood:** Delusions? i honestly thought they just made it up to write for fun

**Martin Blackwood:** It read like something you would find in a cheap horror anthology

**Sasha James:** you're not wrong, a lot of statements are like that

**Timothy Stoker:** welcome to the archives of the magnus institute, aka a cheap horror anthology

**Sasha James:** wait but martin why did you need it?? how tf does it connect to another statement?

**Martin Blackwood:** There's this giant pig that ate people

**Timothy Stoker:** AKKSKSKSKSK

**Jonathan Sims:** Ah yes. Long pig short pig...

**Martin Blackwood:** Wide pig...narrow pig...

**Timothy Stoker:** i am viscerally terrified right now

**Sasha James:** martin and jon quoting statements (? that's what you were doing right? please tell me that's what you were doing?) at each other is scarily off-putting

**Martin Blackwood:** It's preferable to me being yelled at by him though

**Timothy Stoker:** ooof what a callout

**Jonathan Sims:** Yes I probably shouldn't do that so much should I

**Jonathan Sims:** However I WILL yell at tim, for procrastinating

**Timothy Stoker:** boss nooooo i told you i'll get the police record search done this afternoon

**Jonathan Sims:** You were supposed to get it done two weeks ago

**Timothy Stoker:** when brain says hyperfocus, gotta hyperfocus :/

**Timothy Stoker:** i HAVE gotten through a lot of statements just not the ones you wanted me to

**Timothy Stoker:** but i feel like i've found out a lot

**Sasha James:** yeah? do share

**Timothy Stoker:** well okay it's not like..a revelation or anything and honestly i only have more questions

**Jonathan Sims:** This does not sound like "finding out a lot"

**Timothy Stoker:** shhsshshh

**Timothy Stoker:** what i found was connections

**Martin Blackwood:** Between statements?

**Timothy Stoker:** yeah and no offense martin but better connections than "pig eats people, so does dream frog"

**Martin Blackwood:** Look there was only so much follow-up i could do on that one and i wanted to be thorough

**Jonathan Sims:** Stay on topic, what were the connections you found

**Timothy Stoker:** well first of all the circus

**Timothy Stoker:** i don't know HOW it's relevant but it comes up in more than one statement

**Timothy Stoker:** and it's not explicitly said to be the same circus every time but it has to be

**Martin Blackwood:** Oh there was a circus in the monster pig statement

**Timothy Stoker:** ??? pls give it to me once you're done with it

**Martin Blackwood:** Some clowns got eaten i think

**Timothy Stoker:** changed my mind i want to see this NOW aksksk

**Jonathan Sims:** You think all of the circus statements are connected, tim?

**Timothy Stoker:** yeah. i do

**Jonathan Sims:** Remind to talk to you about the calliope statement later

**Jonathan Sims:** But for now, keep telling us about the connections

**Timothy Stoker:** ..okay

**Timothy Stoker:** so

**Timothy Stoker:** robert smirke

**Martin Blackwood:** Wasn’t he that architect from the 19th century?

**Sasha James:** ah yes, your celebrity crush

**Jonathan Sims:** And here I thought  _ I _ was your celebrity crush. I'm wounded, Tim.

**Martin Blackwood:** I??? i'm never going to get used to you being sarcastic

**Jonathan Sims:** Hence why this group chat was a bad idea. Employers need to maintain a professional relationship with their employees

**Sasha James:** you literally could have just not said anything to tim

**_Jonathan Sims_ ** _ is typing… _

**Jonathan Sims:** Tim? Continue?

**Sasha James:** wow

**Timothy Stoker:** don’t worry jon i have room for two celebrity crushes in my heart

**Timothy Stoker:** yes he was an architect but he was also into the supernatural

**Timothy Stoker:** and i’ve read some of his works and at one point he refers to a classification system

**Timothy Stoker:** i can’t find anything else about it but it got me thinking about how certain statements seem to share themes

**Timothy Stoker:** like darkness

**Timothy Stoker:** or falling

**Timothy Stoker:** we all know some of the statements are real. maybe there really is an objective way to classify them that’s accurate to whatever supernatural fuckery is going on

**Martin Blackwood:** ...tbh i’m not sure how much of all this statement stuff i believe

**Sasha James:** yeah tim i’m pretty sure you and i are the only believers

**Timothy Stoker:** ahaha i worked with jon in research for years he is NOT a skeptic

**Martin Blackwood:** He’s not??

**Martin Blackwood:** Carlos vittery literally died wrapped in spiderwebs and he said it was  _ natural _ . how could that be anything but paranormal

**Jonathan Sims:** And here i thought you said you didn’t believe the statements

**Martin Blackwood:** Look i didn’t word that right

**Martin Blackwood:** There are obviously a few real ones

**Martin Blackwood:** But the idea that what’s behind them is prominent enough to have a classification system? that was known by some random guy in the 1800s?

**Timothy Stoker:** i’m not saying smirke was right or that we have to believe it

**Timothy Stoker:** but i want to find out more about this

**Timothy Stoker:** and i know we’re technically just supposed to archive stuff but jon’s basically turned us into research anyway

**Timothy Stoker:** i’m going to work on this and find out more.

**Jonathan Sims:** Yes Tim as your boss I give you permission to do this project thank you for checking

**Jonathan Sims:** And thanks for that research comment

**Timothy Stoker:** you’re welcome :)

**Sasha James:** if i find any connections between statements i’ll let you know tim

**Timothy Stoker:** thanks sash

**Martin Blackwood:** I’ll do the same

**Martin Blackwood:** If you hand me the frog statement

**Timothy Stoker:** nooo just get it yourself it’s so far from me

**Martin Blackwood:** You’re literally as far away as i am

**Timothy Stoker:** so there’s no reason to make me get it is there

**Martin Blackwood:** My reason is i don’t want tslhfdkjldf

**Timothy Stoker:** oh my goD

**Sasha James:** i left for the library literally thirty seconds ago how did something happen already

**Timothy Stoker:** jon just flung open the door to his office, grabbed the statements on the floor, knocked martin’s phone out of his hand and slammed the statements down in front of him before walking back into his office and shutting the door behind him

**Sasha James:** AJKSJS

**Martin Blackwood:** The worst part is he only grabbed like half of the statements and the one i need is still on the floor :/

**Jonathan Sims:** Martin I swear to god

**Martin Blackwood:** Right right getting back to work now haha sorry

**Jonathan Sims:** And Tim, obviously this group chat has NOT been conducive to our work environment so if you would kindly delete it

**Timothy Stoker:** sorry i'm working rn :)

**Timothy Stoker:** i'll get around to that sometime today :)

**Jonathan Sims:** That's what you said about those police records

**_Timothy Stoker_ ** _ is typing… _

**Jonathan Sims:** Tim.

**Timothy Stoker:** oops looks like the work day's over :) gotta nyoom, <3 u guys :)))

**Sasha James:** ahaha he’s not wrong it is five o’clock. <3, see you guys tomorrow!

**Martin Blackwood:** See you tomorrow <33

**Jonathan Sims:** ...<3

**Timothy Stoker:** aww i knew he loved me


	2. things get kinda iffy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a leitner makes its way into the archives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i forgot to mention that i'm completely ignoring the canon timeline of statements (bc i'm too lazy to do that much research), and also just making my own stuff up (including this statement giver/leitner). would going off of canon and writing the worm incident make the fic make more sense? yes but have i read aforementioned worm incident so many times in other fics that writing it just sounds painfully boring? also yes so here we are

**i know im supposed to be working but im bored whats up**

**Timothy Stoker:** jon you’ve been in there with that statement giver for over half an hour are u alive

**Jonathan Sims:** no

**Sasha James:** adjdkk i didn’t think hed respond

**Timothy Stoker:** rescue mission time?

**Sasha James:** ..i think not.

**Timothy Stoker:** shush

**Timothy Stoker:** jon knock on the wall twice if you need rescuing

**Sasha James:** no knocking to be heard

**Timothy Stoker:** damn

**Martin Blackwood:** Guys stop texting she's coming out of his office

**Jonathan Sims:** Can I just say, my phone going off in the middle of a statement giver's crying fit was NOT greatly appreciated

**Timothy Stoker:** why didn’t u just have it on silent

**Jonathan Sims:** Get back to work Tim

**Timothy Stoker:** HA your usual methods of topic avoidance will not work today for i have already completed all my work

**Jonathan Sims:** Oh have you now.

**Martin Blackwood:** This has the same energy as the smug cat surrounded by knives

**Timothy Stoker:** yes i have

**Timothy Stoker:** are u really surprised, my work ethic is great it just depends on what the work is

**Jonathan Sims:** That's true

**Timothy Stoker:** so what was the statement about

**Martin Blackwood:** Why are we still texting jon can just come out of his office

**Jonathan Sims:** I'll be looking this over for a while, actually.

**Jonathan Sims:** And I'd rather you three stay out there

**Sasha James:** ??

**Sasha James:** did she leave an artefact or something?

**Jonathan Sims:** A Leitner

**Jonathan Sims:** Her statement was practically incoherent and she didn't mention the book at all until she brought it out and handed it to me right at the end

**Sasha James:** oh one of the "from the library of jurgen leitner"s? i've handled one of those before

**Sasha James:** dont tell me youre trying to protect us

**Jonathan Sims:** I just...need to determine how dangerous it is

**Martin Blackwood:** I think we'd rather that  _ not _ get determined by it eating you or something while the rest of us sit at our desks texting each other

**Jonathan Sims:** Just.

**Jonathan Sims:** Just let me do this.

**Jonathan Sims:** I just need to make sure

**Sasha James:** what, that it's safe? "looking it over" is not the way to do that, handling it with gloves and a ziploc bag is

**Martin Blackwood:** I can feel sasha’s exasperation radiating off of her from ten feet away

**Martin Blackwood:** But seriously jon just bring it out

**_Jonathan Sims_ ** _ is typing… _

**Martin Blackwood:** Jon?

**Sasha James:** guess it ate him :/

**Martin Blackwood:** Akjsjdm don't even joke about that

**Sasha James:** and yet i saw you snort

**Martin Blackwood:** Out of OFFENSE

**Martin Blackwood:** Oof there goes tim, entering the forbidden office

**Martin Blackwood:** Right...so the gasp and slamming door wasn't ominous at all

**Sasha James:** shit okay now i feel like i shouldn't have made that joke

**Sasha James:** why is it so quiet, it feels weird to talk out loud or make any noise at all

**Sasha James:** can you see through the blinds martin?

**Martin Blackwood:** Mm-mm

**Timothy Stoker:** okay holy shit

**Timothy Stoker:** we're just gonna sit here for a sec

**Jonathan Sims:** No need everything's fine

**Timothy Stoker:** you still look scared out of your mind jon

**Timothy Stoker:** why the  _ fuck _ did you open the supernatural book

**Jonathan Sims:** First of all there was nothing to suggest it was actually supernatural

**Timothy Stoker:** a leitner  _ not _ being supernatural? you take them more seriously than anything

**Timothy Stoker:** and don't pull that shit literally two minutes after "no one's allowed in my office while i inspect the dangerous book"

**Jonathan Sims:** You're overreacting

**Timothy Stoker:** i wouldn't be if you didn't look fucking terrified when i came in

**Sasha James:** what the fuck happened.

**Timothy Stoker:** walked in to see him staring at the open book struggling to breathe

**Timothy Stoker:** i had to yank it away from him

**Timothy Stoker:** i glimpsed a page for like half a second and felt like i was falling

**Sasha James:** huh falling is...not as bad as i was expecting? the one i handled in artefact storage was rumored to have bitten someone's hand off

**Sasha James:** not to invalidate u or anything, i get how that would be terrifying for someone if they had a fear of heights

**Jonathan Sims:** I don't have a fear of heights.

**Jonathan Sims:** And it was more nauseating than anything

**Jonathan Sims:** I just don't like being out of control

**Martin Blackwood:** I’m sorry but

**Martin Blackwood:** I haven't worked here long but you guys seem to know about these books and that they're uh..sketchy

**Sasha James:** honestly i didn't think there were that many around until they started coming up in statements

**Jonathan Sims:** Neither did I.

**Jonathan Sims:** Your point, martin?

**Martin Blackwood:** My point is that i want to know  _ why _ you tried to read it

**Jonathan Sims:** Honestly?

**Jonathan Sims:** I was curious

**Jonathan Sims:** Yes thank you for the derisive laughter Tim

**Jonathan Sims:** I just.. _ needed _ to know

**Jonathan Sims:** Something just pulled at me

**Timothy Stoker:** if i had a dime for every time your curiosity got you into trouble…

**Jonathan Sims:** Yes, yes, I know

**Martin Blackwood:** ..okay this might just be me being psycho-symptomatic and overly anxious but the vertigo i'm feeling right now is...kinda scaring me

**Sasha James:** no yeah im getting that too

**Sasha James:** gloves and ziploc time?

**Timothy Stoker:** gloves and ziploc time.

**Timothy Stoker:** although if it’s a proximity thing that might not be much help

**Martin Blackwood:** Bringing my lunch bag in

**Sasha James:** i'll take it to artefact storage

**Timothy Stoker:** thx. mission leitner bye-bye is a go

**Martin Blackwood:** That’s...no.

**Timothy Stoker:** shut it and bring that bag already

**Sasha James:** even holding it is making me feel awful

**Sasha James:** sonja will enjoy figuring out what to do with it, cant wait to see her face

**Sasha James:** what was the title of the book i didn't get a look at it

**Jonathan Sims:** It didn’t appear to have one

**Jonathan Sims:** I'm honestly surprised it wasn't Ex Altiora

**Timothy Stoker:** oh the lightning ozone night sky vertigo one?

**Jonathan Sims:** Right. This one only had the vertigo, I suppose

**Jonathan Sims:** But still, quite similar in that way

**Jonathan Sims:** I...think that Tim might be onto something

**Martin Blackwood:** In what way?

**Jonathan Sims:** With the classification

**Jonathan Sims:** Maybe we should all be putting a bit more effort into figuring out what's behind the statements

**Jonathan Sims:** Even if they're all isolated incidents, that doesn't mean there aren't root connections

**Sasha James:** not to be argumentative but that's not exactly our job

**Sasha James:** tim was right when he said you're turning us into research

**Sasha James:** and i'm not saying doing research is bad or that you shouldn't use your background in it…

**Sasha James:** but uncovering a mystery that might not even be a mystery past "people have gone through shitty paranormal stuff" is not in our job description

**Sasha James:** and like you said we can't afford to waste time when we have an absolute mess of statements to properly archive

**Jonathan Sims:** ...You're right

**Martin Blackwood:** Guys the feeling isn’t going away

**Sasha James:** it isnt??

**Martin Blackwood:** i hate htis i hate this

**Martin Blackwood:** Sasha?? do you still have the book

**Sasha James:** um the vertigo is getting worse but i’m close to storage

**Sasha James:** are you okay???

**Timothy Stoker:** martins rigt i feel it too

**Timothy Stoker:** im curlled up under my desk which is helping

**Jonathan Sims:** It got worse why would it get worse if the book is going further away

**Martin Blackwood:** i don’t know but it IS

**Timothy Stoker:** who the fuck knows wyh this shit haopens the way it sdoes

**Timothy Stoker:** but i dont’t watn to be falling any more

**Martin Blackwood:** Does it need to be taken out of the instsitute

**_Jonathan Sims_ ** _ is typing… _

**Jonathan Sims:** ...it’s gone

**Timothy Stoker:** thank fuck

**Timothy Stoker:** brb throwing up

**Sasha James:** elias just took the book from me??

**Jonathan Sims:** Wait, what

**Sasha James:** he intercepted me right outside the door to storage and said he’d take care of things from there

**Timothy Stoker:** that’s kinda weird ngl

**Martin Blackwood:** Okay you know what jon was right

**Martin Blackwood:** we need to be looking more into this stuff

**Martin Blackwood:** Tim had the right idea

**Martin Blackwood:** It's the fact that a dangerous object was brought here

**Martin Blackwood:** It could have trapped and made one of us keep falling for  _ hours _

**Martin Blackwood:** all because jon took someone's statement and artefact, which  _ is _ in the job description

**Martin Blackwood:** Elias fixed whatever was happening ig but that’s a whole  _ other _ mystery that seems kinda important to figure out

**Martin Blackwood:** And even though he did….you can’t pretend that book didn’t put us in danger or harm us

**Martin Blackwood:** I don’t think we can just keep peacefully organizing stuff on the sidelines if this shit’s gonna happen

**Timothy Stoker:** i mean to be fair. it wouldn’t have happened if jon hadn’t opened the book

**Jonathan Sims:** I know I shouldn’t have opened the fucking book

**Martin Blackwood:** That’s not the point tim

**Timothy Stoker:** yeah ik and i agree with you obviously

**Timothy Stoker:** so we’re all in on looking more into the classification stuff, leitners, and whatever else is going on?

**Timothy Stoker:** including whatever part elias plays in it

**Jonathan Sims:** ..Yes

**Jonathan Sims:** I've been trying to ignore the feeling that these statements are more real than we can even realize

**Jonathan Sims:** That something bigger is going on outside of this institute and within it

**Jonathan Sims:** But I need to know more

**Sasha James:** is this the same need to know that made you open that book? because some things are better left unknown

**Jonathan Sims:** You may be right. But I still feel...drawn to this

**Sasha James:** ...i do too

**Sasha James:** you guys aren’t wrong

**Sasha James:** and with the shit i’ve seen in artefact storage? i usually just tried not to think about it too much but working at the institute means im in the middle of it no matter what doesnt it

**Jonathan Sims:** Let’s keep doing everything we have been, but keep an eye out for connections and themes in statements

**Jonathan Sims:** Like falling and vertigo, which is clearly more relevant than I had realized

**Jonathan Sims:** And not to act like a researcher, but...

**Sasha James:** more research?

**Timothy Stoker:** more digging!

**Martin Blackwood:** More finding out what’s actually going on.

**Jonathan Sims:** Exactly.

**Jonathan Sims:** This shouldn’t be the most prominent part of your work, just keep it in mind as you look through things

**Jonathan Sims:** We can use the chat to compile what we find

**Timothy Stoker:** ha see the chat was a good idea

**Timothy Stoker:** im a genius

**Martin Blackwood:** Sure you are <3

**_Timothy Stoker_ ** _ is typing… _

**Timothy Stoker:** love you too marto. love you too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes the "I know I shouldn't have opened the fucking book" was jon thinking about mr spider :) thanks for reading! also, feel free to comment fluffy ideas you'd like to see, this'll definitely be a lighthearted fic too. updates on wednesdays and sundays!


	3. but it's okay, they're <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> after writing this chapter, i came to the realization that i am physically incapable of writing the og archives gang w/out making them at least a little bit in love. i didn't realize i had made every chapter end with some form of "i love you" until i was 3 chapters in but there's no backing out now and i will be continuing this trend no constructive criticism taken. interpret it however you want, they're just vibin :')

**i know im supposed to be working but im bored whats up**

**Jonathan Sims:** If anyone come across a statement that references Gerard Keay, please let me know

**Timothy Stoker:** sure thing boss

**Sasha James:** he's the one who may or may not have killed his mother right?

**Jonathan Sims:** Mhmm

**Jonathan Sims:** Also the one who was admitted to a hospital covered in burns with another man who he then stabbed with a scalpel

**Timothy Stoker:** good lord

**Jonathan Sims:** And the one who burned a Leitner.

**Jonathan Sims:** I want to know more about him

**Timothy Stoker:** and here i thought  _ i _ was your celebrity crush

**Jonathan Sims:** Very mature of you, Tim

**Timothy Stoker:** i was literally quoting you

**Jonathan Sims:** Aren't you supposed to be doing work right now?

**Timothy Stoker:** you've got to find a better way to redirect the conversation

**Sasha James:** i forgot about the leitner-burning thing. wasn't it ex altiora?

**Jonathan Sims:** Yes, as a matter of fact

**Sasha James:** hm okay. ig if he's been in two statements already it doesn't seem unreasonable that he'd show up in more, i'll keep an eye out

**Martin Blackwood:** I thought Gerard Keay had passed away?

**Jonathan Sims:** We still might be able to learn something if he’s mentioned anywhere else. The ideal would be finding a statement given by Gerard himself

**Timothy Stoker:** oo first name basis

**Jonathan Sims:** Ignoring  _ that _ little comment, please do let me know if you find anything on him, or Leitners in general

**Timothy Stoker:** oh that reminds me

**_Timothy Stoker_ ** _ changed “ _ **_Jonathan Sims_ ** _ ” to “ _ **_leitner hater_ ** _ ” _

**Timothy Stoker:** fun chat names!

**Timothy Stoker:** sasha and martin, you have thirty seconds to change your own before i do it for you

**_leitner hater_ ** _ is typing… _

**Timothy Stoker:** uh oh

**_leitner hater_ ** _ changed “ _ **_Timothy Stoker_ ** _ ” to “ _ **_:/_ ** _ ” _

**:/** : wow thanks i hate it

**Sasha James:** if  _ you _ don’t change the stupid chat  _ title _ in thirty seconds i’m telling them about your embarrassing cooking adventures

**:/** : ew no need for blackmail

**:/** : goddamnit i really wanted to put a :/ at the end but jon has ruined it

**_:/_ ** _ changed the chat name to “ _ **_thanks jon._ ** _ ” _

**_leitner hater_ ** _ changed the chat name to “ _ **_you’re welcome tim_ ** _ ” _

**Sasha James:** not that i dont love the banter between you two but

**_Sasha James_ ** _ changed the chat name to “ _ **_Archives_ ** _ ” _

**:/** : that’s no fun at all

**Sasha James:** then change it to something else but maybe have your conversations in the actual chat instead of the title??

**_:/_ ** _ changed “ _ **_Sasha James_ ** _ ” to “ _ **_no fun at all_ ** _ ” _

**_Martin Blackwood_ ** _ changed the chat name to “ _ **_be nice to sasha_ ** _ ” _

**no fun at all:** ty martin

**no fun at all:** tim i’m disowning you

**Martin Blackwood:** Do it

**_no fun at all_ ** _ changed “ _ **_no fun at all_ ** _ ” to “ _ **_sashaaa_ ** _ ” _

**_sashaaa_ ** _ changed “ _ **_Martin Blackwood_ ** _ ” to “ _ **_secretly savage_ ** _ ” _

**_:/_ ** _ changed “ _ **_:/_ ** _ ” to “ _ **_unloved :(_ ** _ ” _

**secretly savage:** Nooo tim we love u

**_unloved :(_ ** _ changed “ _ **_unloved :(_ ** _ “ to “ _ **_loved!_ ** _ ” _

**secretly savage:** That’s better :)

**sashaaa:** for once that smiley face doesn’t feel threatening :O

**secretly savage:** <3

**loved!:** <3!!!

**sashaaa:** <3333

**sashaaa:** hey wheres jon

**secretly savage:** I can hear him through the door i think he’s started a statement

**loved!:** recording again?

**sashaaa:** must be

**sashaaa:** the statements that have to be recorded,,, do they feel more.. _ real _ to you guys?

**loved!:** ..yeah

**secretly savage:** They do

**secretly savage:** Have you noticed how drained he always looks just after recording one

**sashaaa:** yeah

**sashaaa:** i. i really think those are the real ones.

**secretly savage:** And it would explain why they don’t do well with computers

**loved!:** holy shit

**sashaaa:** what?

**loved!:** GUYS

**sashaaa:** what??!

**secretly savage:** I genuinely can’t tell if you’re delighted or terrified when you have a hand over your mouth like that

**loved!:** DOES THIS MEAN THE FROG STATEMENT IS REAL

**sashaaa:** fucking hell

**secretly savage:** :/

**loved!:** you are both so disrespectful to the demonic frog >:(

**secretly savage:** Can you blame us??

**loved!:** yes and i will i will blame you with all of my heart

**sashaaa:** f in the chat

**secretly savage:** ://///

**secretly savage:** I do worry about your emotional attachment to this tim

**loved!:** he is my frog husband and i love him very much

**secretly savage:** Yeah um that’s not helping my concern

**sashaaa:** we have been rejected he has left us for his frog husband :(((

**loved!:** noooo i still love you all

**loved!:** it can still work out between us

**loved!:** if only you could learn to love frog husband too……….

**secretly savage:** No thank you

**loved!:** we will all live together happily….

**secretly savage:** Um.

**loved!:** in a lovely little cottage far far away…….

**sashaaa:** here we go with the daydreaming again

**loved!:** how are we feeling about scotland lads

**secretly savage:** I mean? scotland sounds nice?

**sashaaa:** don’t enable him martin

**loved!:** we + frog husband can take winding walks through the fields….see the good cows….

**secretly savage:** I can’t help it sasha i’m succumbing

**loved!:** oh sasha….just imagine….our own little cottage overlooking the rough sea as the rain comes down and we snuggle up by the fireplace….

**sashaaa:** hhhhhhhhh

**loved!:** and i will have a garden out back….with herbs and vegetables and vines that climb everywhere and i will sing to them happily

**sashaaa:** the vines do not get to climb everywhere keep them under control please

**loved!:** sure sure no problem

**loved!:** and we will have a window seat overlooking the ocean for jon to stare ominously out of….we will bring breakfast and tea to his window seat so that he does not waste away embodying a character from a jane austen novel….

**secretly savage:** Alkslkd i can imagine this perfectly??

**loved!:** it’s my magical daydreaming powers

**sashaaa:** how are we going to get income

**loved!:** shush it you’re ruining the daydream

**secretly savage:** Nono wait

**secretly savage:** We could sell the food from tim’s garden

**loved!:** yessss marto that’s what i’m talking about!!! gold star 4 u

**sashaaa:** i suppose i could find a web development job or something and work from home

**loved!:** doesn’t quite fit the theme of “cottage daydream” but you know what it’s perfect

**loved!:** jon can like work in a bookstore in a nearby town

**secretly savage:** He’d like that haha

**loved!:** your turn marto

**secretly savage:** Oh um

**secretly savage:** I

**secretly savage:** i’d be….an author?

**loved!:** oh??

**secretly savage:** Well i mean i kind of do some writing already

**secretly savage:** So….yeah

**sashaaa:** perfect

**loved!:** omg martin what do you write

**secretly savage:** Uh….poetry?

**sashaaa:** aksdjf you MUST let us read it

**secretly savage:** I should not have said anything.

**loved!:** it’s fine we’ll convince you someday

**loved!:** besides if you’re going to be a published author you can’t escape us reading it

**secretly savage:** I’ll write under a pen name.

**loved!:** ...i was so sure i could come up with a retort but i think he’s outsmarted us

**secretly savage:** Ha

**sashaaa:** :(

**secretly savage:** Don’t give me that face

**secretly savage:** No don’t do it in real life too

**secretly savage:** I’m not even looking at you stop it

**loved!:** sasha’s sad face can be felt from kilometers away

**secretly savage:** Ugh fine i’ll show you someday

**secretly savage:** It’s really not that good

**loved!:** yayyayayyyayyay

**secretly savage:** Something is wrong with you

**loved!:** wow thanks i know :)

**secretly savage:** Shit sorry i didn’t mean it

**loved!:** ik ik it’s all good

**sashaaa:** i think it’s hug tim time

**loved!:** i didn’t take it to heart?? i said it’s fine???

**sashaaa:** so are you saying you DONT want a hug

**loved!:** wait no i’m not saying that

**loved!:** i will always accept hugs

**loved!:** nonono don’t just shrug at me come hug me right now

**secretly savage:** Both of you making sad faces at each other is making the energy in this room VERY depressing

**leitner hater:** Why did I just hear a crash

**leitner hater:** If there are more statements on the floor someone is getting fired

**secretly savage:** Um. tim and sasha may or may not have just launched themselves at each other?

**secretly savage:** So no statements on the floor haha

**secretly savage:** Just uh just them

**leitner hater:** _ Why _

**sashaaa:** bc it’s hug time!!!!!!!!!

**loved!:** hug time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**loved!:** it’s very cozy on the floor come join us martin

**secretly savage:** No thank you :)

**loved!:** jon??

**leitner hater:** ...I’ll pass.

**secretly savage:** Oh no the sad faces are back

**leitner hater:** Luckily for me I’m in another room, so they won’t work on me and you can stop that

**loved!:** :((

**sashaaa:** :((((

**leitner hater:** I’m going to record another statement. Turning my phone off now

**sashaaa:** wAIT

**leitner hater:** Yes?

**sashaaa:** ummmm <3

**leitner hater:** Uh huh

**sashaaa:** >:(

**leitner hater:** <3.

**sashaaa** : :D

**leitner hater:** And with regards to your foolish daydream, working in a bookstore sounds incredibly boring. Come up with something else and I’ll consider it

**loved!:** alskjdf yes sir!!

**loved!:** my frog husband can be the one to work in a bookstore

**secretly savage:** Nope

**sashaaa:** blocked

**loved!:** so cruel

**sashaaa:** yeah yeah. now get off me so that i can go back to work

**loved!:** your arm is smushed against my mouth and your leg is wrapped around mine i think YOU need to get off of ME

**secretly savage:** Both of you get off of the other so that we can  _ all _ go back to work instead of you being a pile on the floor

**loved!:** only if you take off your headphones so that i can tell you something out loud

**secretly savage:** You get one second before i go back to my music

**secretly savage:** ...i love you too :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah i am projecting my daydreams onto them what of it  
> in other news, gerry keay's mere existence has once again thrown any semblance of canon in my writing off the rails, so look forward to that in a few chapters


	4. things get even more iffy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sasha finds the tunnels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hm. wow. this one is a lot heavier than the last. have fun!

**be nice to sasha**

**sashaaa:** hey guys?

**secretly savage:** Mhm?

**sashaaa:** jon specifically

**leitner hater:** ..Mhm?

**sashaaa:** why does the plaque that says head archivist have a dent in it?

**leitner hater:** I- what?

**sashaaa:** like someone kicked it or something

**sashaaa:** with a sword

**loved!:** have you been drinking coffee again

**sashaaa:** ew no

**sashaaa:** had some matcha tea

**loved!:** whhhhhhhy

**sashaaa:** i thought the caffeine would help me focus?

**loved!:** it has literally always done the opposite

**sashaaa:** i know but i was desperate

**sashaaa:** the only reason i stayed behind from having lunch out was to get work done and what's the point if i cant even do that

**loved!:** you could have still joined us :(

**sashaaa:** ..true but..work

**sashaaa:** anyway hey guys??

**loved!:** ..yes sasha?

**sashaaa:** why is jon's office so messy

**leitner hater:** Alternate question: why are you in Jon’s office

**sashaaa:** n/a

**secretly savage:** Oh i dropped my pen in there yesterday could you get it for me

**secretly savage:** It's the one with the little floofy thing on top

**sashaaa:** why didnt you just get it when you dropped it??

**secretly savage:** That would have been awkward and jon was already kinda glaring at me because i uh actually i don't know why but he was and it was awkward and i wasn't about to crouch down behind his desk and awkwardly pick up my pen

**sashaaa:** are you ok martin

**secretly savage:** No?

**secretly savage:** But if you get my pen i will be!

**loved!:** i live in anticipation of the day when martin actually picks something up instead of making other people do it

**secretly savage:** Don't hold your breath :)

**sashaaa:** anyway hey guys???

**leitner hater:** ..Yes Sasha

**sashaaa:** _why is there a fucking trapdoor in the archives_

**secretly savage:** Hello there’s a what???

**sashaaa:** it’s behind some shelves and ugh its locked

**leitner hater:** We should come back to the Institute

**sashaaa:** no need i can pick the lock

**leitner hater:** That wasn’t my point my point was no one is touching the trapdoor until we figure out more

**sashaaa:** oh thats probably a good idea

**secretly savage:** Wait i want to finish my tea jon come sit back down

**leitner hater:** I really think I should go to the Institute

**loved!:** i’m i’m still in shock that there’s an actual fucking trapdoor

**sashaaa:** okay i got the lock open

**loved!:** sasha???

**sashaaa:** i needed something to do

**sashaaa:** and i’m really curious

**loved!:** To quote you, some things are better left unknown so do NOT TOUCH THE TRAPDOOR

**sashaaa:** i don’t think i said the trapdoor part…

**loved!:** you and I both know what I meant.

**sashaaa:** it looks like a fucking tunnel is down there

**sashaaa:** i’m just going to go in for a second okay i’ll climb out and report back right away but i really need to get some energy out and also satisfy my curiosity

**loved!:** yeah uh please don’t????

**secretly savage:** Take your phone at least

**sashaaa:** i will

**sashaaa:** okay im down here

**sashaaa:** wow it really is a tunnel, it goes for ages

**sashaaa:** dw i have a torch with me

**sashaaa:** it’s actually pretty scary down here, i’m only gonna go a little farther and then get the fuck out

**sashaaa:** i think there are connecting passageways

**sashaaa:** jon when are you gonna get here

**leitner hater:** I’ll come back if you need me, but I’ve decided I trust you to be safe and not stay in there longer than necessary

**leitner hater:** And my food just arrived, so.

**leitner hater:** But seriously, do NOT do anything else impulsive

**sashaaa:** i’m kinda getting used to the feel down here

**sashaaa:** it’s almost like a weight on my mind keeps lifting the farther i go

**sashaaa:** what if i got some string and tied it to a shelf and trailed it behind me? like ariadne?

**loved!:** oh snazzy

**secretly savage:** Sounds good to me. let us know what you find

**loved!:** ...be very very safe okay?

**leitner hater:** What they said

**sashaaa:** heck yeah <3

**sashaaa:** climbing out..

**sashaaa:** string obtained

**sashaaa:** climbing in!

**sashaaa:** okay i think ill take this passage its less cramped

**loved!:** how many passages are there?? what are they made of??? i have SO many questions

**loved!:** trapdoor, okay, i can deal with that. it leads to a bunker or something under the institute, yeah pretty weird but kinda plausible. but a whole ass tunnel system????

**sashaaa:** maybe your beloved smirke built them

**loved!:** very funny sasha

**loved!:** so what’s the passage like

**loved!:** sasha?

**loved!:** sasha if you don’t respond in the next ten seconds i stg i’m gonna

**loved!:** uh

**loved!:** cry, probably

**loved!:** okay that’s it we should go back.

**secretly savage:** I am Worry

**secretly savage:** But i mean it’s probably fine right? she probably just hasn’t looked at her phone. it’s fine.

**leitner hater:** ...Wait

**leitner hater:** Aaand he’s leaving

**leitner hater:** Tim stop putting on your coat and look at your phone

**leitner hater:** Oh it worked

**loved!:** you’re not that magical i was just checking to see if she’d responded

**loved!:** anyway what is it

**leitner hater:** We forgot that she’s literally underground

**secretly savage:** OH she wouldn’t have service, ofc

**leitner hater:** I’m surprised she didn’t lose it sooner

**loved!:** oh

**loved!:** okay

**loved!:** okay yeah that makes sense

**secretly savage:** These poor employees are going to get so confused with all the back-and-forth we’re doing

**loved!:** okay. sitting down. we’re staying sitting down. no freaking out. just trusting sash. eating food. chillin.

**leitner hater:** If the tunnels are part of the Institute, I would assume they’re safe

**secretly savage:** Yes yes

**secretly savage:** No overprotective overanalyzing here

**leitner hater:** Absolutely none

**loved!:** haha i don’t even know what those words mean

**loved!:** .....that was a joke i do know what those words mean and i’m absolutely doing it

**leitner hater:** Yes, I think we’re all on the same page here

**secretly savage:** Let’s just. do what tim said and calmly eat our food

**secretly savage:** And maybe stop texting each other when we’re all at the same table

**loved!:** oh

**loved!:** well in good news i’m pretty sure this means the braincell is with sasha

**sashaaa:** o fcourse there woudlnt be service of course ofcosue

**secretly savage:** Sasha!! it’s been almost half an hour, what did you find?

**secretly savage:** We’re still at lunch but we just finished up

**sashaaa:** ther was a ody

**sashaaa:** *boyd

**sashaaa:** *fucking body

**loved!:** what the fuck sasha?????

**sashaaa:** i don’t know ie don’t know

**leitner hater:** Breathe. What do you mean there was a body?

**sashaaa:** literally what i said

**leitner hater:** We’re on our way back, it’ll be around ten minutes. You can tell us over text if that’s easier. From the beginning, please

**sashaaa:** just jsut give me a min

**sashaaa:** okay im okay

**sashaaa:** i guess this is kinda like a statement hah

**sashaaa:** ..so i um i got the string

**sashaaa:** i know tim keeps some in his desk and i got it and tied it to the shelf closest the trapdoor

**sashaaa:** i had that torch and my phone's flashlight as well. even that didnt help with the darkness much. but i could see well enough to walk without bumping into anything, and to tell that there were branching passageways every once in a while

**sashaaa:** i took one and kept walking. i held onto the string, obviously. the tunnels branched off more the deeper i went and there were even occasional rooms

**sashaaa:** i think the rooms were empty, although i didn't look too closely. i was actually pretty scared. the caffeine high had worn off, either that or the hyperactivity had just converted into more...terror-y adrenaline. and not to sound unprofessional but those tunnels were spooky as fuck

**sashaaa:** i actually came across a couple stairwells. i mean stairwell makes it sound more..sophisticated than it was? the tunnels were just completely old stone and the steps were slightly crumbled. it made me kinda paranoid for a minute that the tunnel was going to collapse down on top of me or something

**sashaaa:** i decided to nope the fuck out of there because the fear was getting to be too much for me. i mean i dont watch scary movies for a reason and at this point i was feeling more and more like i had just walked into one

**sashaaa:** but that's the moment when i realized i had somehow dropped the string

**sashaaa:** i thought i was holding onto it so tightly

**sashaaa:** not only that but i had tried to keep my path visualized in my mind with each turn i took, thats how paranoid of getting lost i was..but none of this changed the fact that when i turned to retrace my steps i found myself facing a solid wall that had definitely not been there before, and with no string to be found

**sashaaa:** i panicked

**sashaaa:** i kept thinking about how i could have just waited for one of you to get back. a part of me was even angry you had let me go down there but i dont blame you or anything, my emotions just got really irrational for a bit there

**sashaaa:** i just kept wandering. and wandering. i think i went down a stairwell at one point but i didn’t really have the frame of mind to keep remembering my path

**sashaaa:** and then i came across a room that was very much so NOT empty

**sashaaa:** there was a body

**sashaaa:** old gunshot wounds

**sashaaa:** dusty boxes on the floor around it

**sashaaa:** her

**sashaaa:** it

**sashaaa:** i ran

**sashaaa:** i was

**sashaaa:** i was so scared

**sashaaa:** um

**sashaaa:** somehow i stumbled across the string again?? i im not even going to question it

**sashaaa:** the tunnels started to make sense again i don’t know how they just did it was kind of a blur

**sashaaa:** and i made it out

**sashaaa:** i think-

**sashaaa:** guys i think the body was getrude

**sashaaa:** fuck

**secretly savage:** Sasha we're here

**secretly savage:** Where are you

**sashaaa:** breakroom

**secretly savage:** Coming right now

**secretly savage:** You're safe, okay?

**secretly savage:** We're here

**secretly savage:** Don't force yourself to talk, it's okay

**secretly savage:** Can I um

**secretly savage:** Would you like a cup of tea

**sashaaa:** ive never wanted one more

**secretly savage:** On it :)

**sashaaa:** tIM OW i do have to breathe you know

**loved!:** no. you have to receive hugs. that is your only job

**leitner hater:** Tim's right on this one

**sashaaa:** jon nokskdkd OOF OKAY HELLO

**sashaaa:** ...i love you guys so fucking much

**secretly savage:** We love you too.


	5. puzzle pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they deserve some sleep okay

**be nice to sasha**

**secretly savage:** Guys shh you're going to wake her

**loved!:** oh

**leitner hater:** The chat is a good idea. Thank you, Martin

**leitner hater:** So back to what we were saying

**loved!:** i still think we shouldn’t take it to elias

**leitner hater:** And  _ I _ still think we don’t have any reason not to

**loved!:** we don’t know how he’s involved in all this! all he had to do was touch a book and it stopped hurting us, we don’t know what we’re dealing with w/ him

**leitner hater:** We still don’t know if those things were correlated. And even if they were, it  _ helped _ us. What makes you think Elias isn’t on our side?

**loved!:** what makes you think that he IS? why didn’t he interfere with the leitner earlier? why did he give you the head archivist job? why does he have such an evil face? you gotta admit he’s kind of sus

**secretly savage:** Okay not to get in the middle of, um, this

**secretly savage:** But what does jon getting a job have to do with anything?

**leitner hater:** I’m assuming he’s referring to the fact that I’m not exactly qualified

**leitner hater:** But I wouldn’t make the jump to ‘Elias has ulterior motives’

**loved!:** it’s either that or he’s sexist, neither are great options

**secretly savage:** Don’t be like that Tim

**secretly savage:** He could be both!

**loved!:** oh sorry marto you’re so right

**loved!:** anyway he’s tangled up in supernatural stuff somehow and he hasn’t exactly volunteered any answers. i’m just saying we should be cautious

**leitner hater:** ...I do agree with you

**loved!:** doesn’t really sound like you do

**leitner hater:** I’m just frustrated that we have so little answers

**leitner hater:** I want to be able to just...trust people without having to figure out if their “evil face” means anything or not first

**leitner hater:** I want to be able to work at my job without wondering if it’s going to get me  _ killed _

**secretly savage:** Um Jon?

**leitner hater:** What

**secretly savage:** Are you...you know, okay?

**leitner hater:** ...I opened a Leitner that endangered us all

**leitner hater:** We let Sasha go into dangerous tunnels with no back-up

**leitner hater:** And my predecessor was just found in said tunnels with  _ gunshots _ in her head

**leitner hater:** I’m sorry that I’m not as put together as you would like me to be.

**secretly savage:** Look obviously I want you to be okay

**secretly savage:** But that’s bc I’m worried

**secretly savage:** I asked bc I’m worried

**secretly savage:** Not bc we expect you to be fine. you don’t have to be, not for anyone

**leitner hater:** Thank you Martin

**leitner hater:** That actually means a lot

**secretly savage:** Yeah yeah hang on let me get this straight

**secretly savage:** YOU’RE “NOT EXACTLY QUALIFIED”?

**secretly savage:** Y _ ou’re _ not exactly  _ qualified _ and yet you bitch at me every time i make the smallest mistake??

**leitner hater:** I suppose I do yes

**leitner hater:** I am trying not to now, for what it’s worth

**secretly savage:** Try harder :/

**leitner hater:** I felt like I had to prove myself to you three

**leitner hater:** And some part of me thought if I treated you as more unqualified than me, that would...get me somewhere?

**leitner hater:** I don’t know. I messed up

**secretly savage:** You really did. i felt awful for getting treated that way at a new job by my new boss

**secretly savage:** And did it do anything? did it make you feel better?

**leitner hater:** The worst part about it is that yes, it did

**leitner hater:** I’m sorry

**secretly savage:** Well.

**secretly savage:** You’re not exactly wrong about me being more unqualified than you (but you were still really shitty)

**leitner hater:** You’re not, Martin, and I really am sorry

**secretly savage:** No i actually am lmao

**secretly savage:** But uh we don’t need to get into that right now!

**secretly savage:** I forgive you and all that jazz haha time to move on :))

**sashaaa:** hi guys why am i laying across your laps

**sashaaa:** and why is tim asleep

**secretly savage:** You fell asleep against the wall it looked uncomfortable

**secretly savage:** And um i don’t know the answer to that second one

**leitner hater:** How did he go to asleep so quickly

**secretly savage:** I don’t know but i’m jealous

**sashaaa:** okay well no offense but this isnt very comfy either so im getting up

**leitner hater:** Fair enough

**sashaaa:** i will accept some hugs though

**secretly savage:** We can provide :)

**leitner hater:** Are you feeling more okay?

**sashaaa:** yeah. ty

**sashaaa:** i’m sorry for doing that

**secretly savage:** What, going into the tunnels? you have no reason to be sorry

**sashaaa:** well...i still feel bad so

**_secretly savage_ ** _ changed “ _ **_sashaaa_ ** _ ” to “ _ **_tunnel conqueror_ ** _ " _

**tunnel conqueror:** also i just read up and

**tunnel conqueror:** 1) im glad you stood up for yourself martin

**tunnel conqueror:** 2) i dont really have an opinion on the elias thing but. jon do you really think youre in danger bc someone killed gertrude?

**tunnel conqueror:** i hadnt even thought about it until you said the predecessor thing

**leitner hater:** I don’t know

**leitner hater:** I...kind of don’t want to think about it

**leitner hater:** But I can’t stop going over it in my head

**secretly savage:** Then let’s find a distraction

**secretly savage:** We need a proper break from evil books and murderous tunnels

**tunnel conqueror:** ..murderous tunnels?

**secretly savage:** Look “murdered” and “tunnels” are the words taking up most of my headspace atm, i got a little mixed up

**secretly savage:** Anyway, thoughts?

**tunnel conqueror:** honestly im just. really really tired still

**leitner hater:** Same. This day has been very draining

**secretly savage:** Well...we could just go to sleep?

**secretly savage:** Maybe tim has the right idea lol

**tunnel conqueror:** lets move off the floor shall we?

**tunnel conqueror:** im sure the breakroom couch could fit us if we tried hard enough

**tunnel conqueror:** ill carry tim

**leitner hater:** All four of us on one couch sounds like a bad idea

**tunnel conqueror:** it is NOT a bad idea

**leitner hater:** My apologies. *sounds like an idea that will end with multiple people on the floor

**secretly savage:** Only one way to find out!

**leitner hater:** Tim?

**loved!:** i’m getting some water, be back in a minute

**leitner hater:** Okay

**loved!:** although i’m not sure how i’ll manage to squeeze back onto the couch

**loved!:** i think i’m all slept out anyway

**leitner hater:** ”Slept out”

**loved!:** shush

**loved!:** ngl it was a very pleasant surprise to find myself in the midst of a group nap

**leitner hater:** ...I’m not sure why, but the way you worded that was just...weird

**loved!:** shrug emoji

**loved!:** hey boss?

**loved!:** i read through everything

**loved!:** you don’t have to prove anything to us

**loved!:** you’re doing the best you can

**loved!:** and i  _ know _ elias put you in a tough position

**loved!:** it’s okay

**leitner hater:** That’s no excuse for treating Martin, and you and Sasha, the way I did

**loved!:** it’s not, but that’s mainly between you and martin (and it seems like you’ve mostly worked through that with him)

**loved!:** my point is that we can work together

**loved!:** you don’t need to act as much like a superior as you can just to prove that you’re fit for being one

**loved!:** we’re here for you and i need you to know that

**loved!:** and i know you’re here for us too so let’s work through this together

**leitner hater:** Okay

**loved!:** why are you crying

**leitner hater:** Please ignore that, I didn’t expect you to come back in yet

**leitner hater:** I just

**leitner hater:** Needed to hear that

**leitner hater:** Stop looking at me like that and help move Sasha off my legs, I can’t feel them anymore

**loved!:** yessir :)

**loved!:** i know it’s like midnight but is anyone else awake?

**secretly savage:** Yeah

**tunnel conqueror:** yep

**leitner hater:** Regrettably

**loved!:** i can’t stop thinking about...everything

**loved!** : the supernatural shit and the leitners and danny and the tunnels and everything

**secretly savage:** Danny?

**loved!:** ..forget i said that

**loved!:** sorry, i shouldn’t have brought any of this up

**loved!:** just because i can’t stop thinking about it doesn’t mean i need to make you guys think about it too

**tunnel conqueror:** im in the same boat as you actually

**secretly savage:** Same here

**leitner hater:** Can we try talking through what we know?

**leitner hater:** Personally, I think listing out what all has happened would make me feel better

**loved!:** no yeah that’s a good idea

**loved!:** okay let’s start with what we know in general:

**loved!:** there are books from the library of that one dude that do things when you open them

**loved!:** and even when you’ve closed them again

**loved!:** there are monsters out there that do horrible things to people and sometimes even kill them

**loved!:** sometimes they make people afraid in similar ways. like with darkness

**tunnel conqueror:** and falling

**leitner hater:** And spiders

**tunnel conqueror:** spiders?

**leitner hater:** I’ll show you the statement of Carlos Vittery tomorrow. And trust me when I say it’s not the only supernatural experience that has to do with spiders

**tunnel conqueror:** and you’re sure that’s not just a coincidence?

**secretly savage:** We shouldn’t risk taking anything as coincidence

**tunnel conqueror:** ..yeah

**loved!:** o o f

**loved!:** okay well onto the Institute

**tunnel conqueror:** elias seemed to know the Leitner was doing something (and possibly made it stop???)

**secretly savage:** There’s a(n abandoned? i’m assuming?) tunnel system below the building

**leitner hater:** Gertrude Robinson was killed and her body is in that tunnel system

**tunnel conqueror:** and of course, some of the statements in our archives are real

**leitner hater:** We have quite a few pieces but no picture

**loved!:** they’re not even edge pieces :(

**tunnel conqueror:** they don’t come together at  _ all _

**secretly savage:** Wait tim don’t tell me you’re one of those people who starts your puzzles with the edge pieces??

**loved!:** fuck yeah i am marto you got a problem with that?

**tunnel conqueror:** why would you not start a puzzle with the edge pieces?

**secretly savage:** There’s no reason to! Don’t act like it does anything :/

**secretly savage:** It’s better to start with making clumps of pieces that fit together and just keep attaching pieces and clumps

**loved!:** is it now.

**tunnel conqueror:** um you do edge pieces  _ and _ that...

**loved!:** no you work your way towards the center from the edges what is WRONG with you

**tunnel conqueror:** you what?? i thought we were on the same side here how could you tim

**leitner hater:** Holy FUCK shut UP about the puzzles what is WRONG with you people

**secretly savage:** Jon???

**loved!:** oh i forgot about your hatred of jigsaw puzzles

**tunnel conqueror:** stay out of the puzzle discourse jon >:(

**leitner hater:** I don’t have a hatred of jigsaw puzzles

**leitner hater:** I do have a hatred of people who won’t stop talking about them

**loved!:** you hate us?????

**leitner hater:** Tim.

**loved!:** i can’t believe this

**leitner hater:** You know I don’t hate you

**loved!:** do i though i think you might need to reassure me of how much you don’t hate me

**leitner hater:** You’re just fishing for affection

**loved!:** i guess my name shouldn’t be “loved” after all :(

**leitner hater:** Fine I give up yes Tim I love you are you happy now

**loved!:** ajsjflkd i didn’t think it’d work yes i am SO happy and i love you too

**leitner hater:** Good

**loved!:** good

**loved!:** <3

**leitner hater:** <3

**tunnel conqueror:** not to interrupt this lovely moment but i wanted to also say

**tunnel conqueror:** <3

**secretly savage: yeah** <3

**loved!:** :)


	6. gosh! dang! puzzle! pieces!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> contemplations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like we're pretty stagnant right now, but next chapter is going to be a pretty big change (unless i totally change my mind lmao, i'm still kind of on the fence about how much canon divergence i want). hope you enjoy this one all the same <3 also, i'm gonna start using tone indicators from now on, and probably go back at some point to add them to earlier chapters. lmk if there's a phrase you think needs one, whether in this chapter or earlier ones! okay, i...think that's all i was gonna say? who knows really  
> edit: sksadjfj was about to go to sleep hours after posting this and just remembered what i was gonna say. this chapter references the Observer Effect ep, a canon statement that i pulled into this part of the timeline for plot purposes

**be nice to sasha**

**secretly savage:** Jon.

 **secretly savage:** Don’t lock yourself in your office

 **secretly savage:** You can’t avoid this

 **leitner hater:** I’m not trying to

 **secretly savage:** Yes you are

 **leitner hater:** There’s nothing to avoid

 **secretly savage:** Then come out of your office and tell us why you keep treating statement givers like crap

_leitner hater is typing…_

**leitner hater:** I’m not avoiding that

 **secretly savage:** You say, as you keep yourself locked in your office

 **leitner hater:** Look, I know it’s a problem. It’s mostly out of habit at this point anyway

 **secretly savage:** He was _crying_ , Jon

 **leitner hater:** He was not!

 **secretly savage:** Almost crying anyway

 **secretly savage:** I get it, you used to think people were faking so they frustrated you. but you don't have that reason anymore so just...try to tone it down a bit, yeah?

 **leitner hater:** ...I never had that reason in the first place, if I'm being honest

 **secretly savage:** Hm?

 **leitner hater:** I didn’t think they were faking

 **secretly savage:** Hm??

 **leitner hater:** Tim did already mention I was never a skeptic

 **secretly savage:** Hm?????

 **leitner hater:** Do you really think I'd be head of a department at an institute that researches the paranormal if I was that much of a nonbeliever?

 **secretly savage:** I...good point

 **secretly savage:** I will admit some of your "logic" for why the statements were fake did get a bit too ridiculous at points

 **secretly savage:** So what were you taking out on the statement givers if not an unhealthy amount of skepticism

 **leitner hater:** Because I was scared, Martin

 **leitner hater:** I still am

 **leitner hater:** I could pretend some of the statements that wouldn't record digitally were fake, and I even properly believed that for a few of them, at the start

 **leitner hater:** But for the most part, I knew. Every time a statement had to be recorded on tape and I would read it aloud and feel it and know it

 **leitner hater:** Every time a statement giver came in and they would spill out their stories and I could barely keep myself from acknowledging the horrible truth

 **leitner hater:** But I couldn't let myself, with that damn watching

 **tunnel conqueror:** jon slow down

 **tunnel conqueror:** breathe

 **tunnel conqueror:** also um what do you mean by watching

 **_leitner hater_ ** _is typing…_

 **leitner hater:** Never mind I'm sorry about all that

 **tunnel conqueror:** jon please talk to us

 **tunnel conqueror:** do you

 **tunnel conqueror:** do you mean the..watched feeling in the archives

 **secretly savage:** Wait what?

 **leitner hater:** I...yeah

 **tunnel conqueror:** i think thats why the tunnels felt lighter to me. no being watched

 **tunnel conqueror:** i couldnt really put words to it until now

 **leitner hater:** I thought I was going insane

 **leitner hater:** Either that or you all wouldn't believe me

 **leitner hater:** And if I brought it up, that would go against the whole point of denying the statements

 **leitner hater:** Because if I accepted anything supernatural I thought it would get worse

 **leitner hater:** And it has

 **loved!:** holy shit

 **loved!:** i think i know what you guys are talking about

 **loved!:** although...it could just be herd mentality and i'm subconsciously tricking my own brain

 **tunnel conqueror:** no need to psychoanalyze yourself, im fairly sure none of us are making it up

 **secretly savage:** I'm...confused

 **tunnel conqueror:** you dont feel it?

 **secretly savage:** What exactly am i supposed to be feeling?

 **loved!:** so martin's immune to the spooky vibes

 **leitner hater:** Let's NOT call it that

 **loved!:** i'll call it whatever i like thank you very much

 **tunnel conqueror:** to martins question- its a feeling i get whenever i'm in the archives, like im being watched. like when youre sure someones behind you but you turn and theyre not there? except it comes from everywhere

 **secretly savage:** Oh

 **secretly savage:** Yeah no i know what you're talking about

 **secretly savage:** I've gotten those particular vibes too

 **secretly savage:** Didn't think they were of the spooky variety, though

 **leitner hater:** So we're all on the same page here

 **loved!:** being watched...how would that be classified

 **loved!:** i haven't made any progress with smirke’s writings,, it's frustrating

 **loved!:** this has got to be another puzzle piece but what does it MEAN what theme does it FIT

 **leitner hater:** Why are we back to talking about puzzles

 **_loved!_ ** _has renamed the chat to "_ **_the superiority of puzzle metaphors, an essay b_ ** _"_

 **tunnel conqueror:** b..?

 **loved!:** shut up there was a character limit /lh

 **tunnel conqueror:** rip

 **tunnel conqueror:** guess we'll never get to find out who the essay is by :/

 **loved!:** it was _clearly_ by me

 **tunnel conqueror:** did anyone hear something

 **loved!:** sashaaaa

 **tunnel conqueror:** yes tim?

 **loved!:** no you know what i'm past the days of getting riled up by tiny stupid things

 **loved!:** i'm a new person

 **loved!:** you can't bother me anymore!

 **tunnel conqueror:** i'd take your word for it but after you claimed that you wrote the essay ive realized youre fraudulent /j

 **loved!:** SASHAAAA

 **tunnel conqueror:** anyway i have a question

 **tunnel conqueror:** we havent come across any statements that have to do with being watched, have we?

 **loved!:** oh good point, not that i'm aware of

 **leitner hater:** No

 **secretly savage:** Actually…

 **secretly savage:** I skimmed a few statements when i was going through some boxes last week

 **secretly savage:** There was one with this woman and a...mirror?

 **loved!:** and…?

 **secretly savage:** And feeling like she was constantly being watched.

 **leitner hater:** Find that statement again, please

 **secretly savage:** Will do, i think i know where it is

 **leitner hater:** I know it's nearly lunch break but is everyone okay with going over the statement as soon as he finds it

 **tunnel conqueror:** mhm, we can eat and read/discuss at the same time

 **loved!:** the pieces!! they're coalescing!!!

 **leitner hater:** Uh huh

**tunnel conqueror:** okay so the being watched thing just came on tenfold

 **tunnel conqueror:** can we maybe..avoid talking out loud for a bit

 **loved!:** when i took this job i was NOT aware i was signing up for this level of paranoia

 **secretly savage:** Did you think you were signing up for any level of paranoia??

 **loved!:** no and i have to say it's made my job satisfaction go down significantly

 **tunnel conqueror:** yeah maybe dont put that in your employee feedback report?

 **loved!:** not planning on it

 **leitner hater:** It doesn't go away when we text

 **tunnel conqueror:** it doesnt but like. the texting makes me feel better

 **tunnel conqueror:** placebo effect ig

 **secretly savage:** Yeah that's fair

 **secretly savage:** So what did you guys think about the statement

 **loved!:** a bit intense

 **leitner hater:** As they usually are

 **tunnel conqueror:** this is a bit off-topic, but it has me wondering about how leitners are created

 **tunnel conqueror:** the woman said christopher was writing a book on secret occult stuff or whatever

 **tunnel conqueror:** stuff outside normal whatever

 **secretly savage:** Very eloquent of you /s

 **tunnel conqueror:** indeed

 **tunnel conqueror:** anyway...just got me thinking..if he had finished it..

 **loved!:** there's overlap between leitners and books on occult/spooky topics but..i don't think there's correlation

 **loved!:** i’m not like an expert but i don’t think it would have magically become a leitner or anything?

 **loved!:** the only connection between ALL of them is the whole. yknow. leitner thing

 **secretly savage:** Which raises even more questions

 **secretly savage:** But one mystery at a time

 **secretly savage:** I think we can add being watched to the list of themes

 **tunnel conqueror:** we have a list?

 **secretly savage:** Okay so first we'll actually make a list

 **leitner hater:** I'll draw something up

 **leitner hater:** You all can add any further ideas you have. Even if it seems like a stretch, _everything's_ speculation at this point, so it had better go on the list

 **loved!:** cool

 **secretly savage:** I don't like this

 **leitner hater:** Is there a better way to do it?

 **secretly savage:** No not that sorry

 **secretly savage:** Just..all of this?

 **secretly savage:** I mean when i started here i had no idea what to expect but that's mostly bc it was a new job not bc i thought we'd be in the middle of...everything

 **secretly savage:** When the leitner thing happened it was like "oh okay the statements are definitely real i guess" but it wasn't a huge deal and i was kind of skeptical about tim's whole smirke thing

 **secretly savage:** Then the tunnels happened and i don't know what it was but _something_ suddenly got a lot more real

 **secretly savage:** And now this

 **secretly savage:** I was only just coming to terms with the idea that maybe there was a bigger picture out there with the spooky stuff and all, and now i have to come to terms with us being within that bigger picture!!

 **leitner hater:** All I want is for the word "spooky" to not be used is that so much to ask

 **secretly savage:** Is that really the only thing you got from me pouring my heart out to you :/

 **leitner hater:** I'd hardly count it as pouring your heart out

 **secretly savage:** You know what I mean

 **secretly savage:** Well anyway sorry for all that

 **tunnel conqueror:** no no ty for saying it

 **tunnel conqueror:** nice to know im not the only one feeling a little overwhelmed

 **tunnel conqueror:** and disoriented

 **tunnel conqueror:** and pretty scared if were being honest

 **loved!:** i know that feeling

 **loved!:** we're not just taking statements any more

 **loved!:** the archives and possibly the head of the institute are clearly tied to the supernatural

 **leitner hater:** Which raises another question

 **loved!:** quite a few actually

 **loved!:** but to which are you referring

 **leitner hater:** Gertrude

 **leitner hater:** Specifically her death

 **secretly savage:** Um

 **secretly savage:** It's definitely a piece of the puzzle (sorry but this really is a helpful metaphor)

 **secretly savage:** But gunshot wounds don't seem very...paranormal

 **tunnel conqueror:** unless you got shot by a ghost

 **loved!:** yes which as we all know is a very likely and common occurrence /s

 **tunnel conqueror:** it could happen!

 **leitner hater:** I just have a feeling that the archives and by extension the Institute itself are larger.. _puzzle_ _pieces_..than we know

 **leitner hater:** The tunnels are connected to them too, both in the abstract and very literal sense

 **leitner hater:** And _Gertrude_ was connected to all three

 **loved!:** yeah you’re right

 **leitner hater:** I...think we are starting to be connected as well

 **leitner hater:** The knowledge we're getting from the statements and our own speculations...it's changing something

 **loved!:** yeah it's changing the level of knowledge we have

 **leitner hater:** You joke, but that's kind of what I'm saying

 **loved!:** i. am just confused at this point

 **loved!:** elaborate on what you mean?

 **_leitner hater_ ** _is typing…_

 **leitner hater:** I don't know what I mean.

 **leitner hater:** But what Martin said about us being part of that mysterious bigger picture?

 **leitner hater:** That's not just passive

 **leitner hater:** We're pushing ourselves into the picture just by trying to solve it

 **leitner hater:** Maybe just by thinking about it in the first place

 **secretly savage:** Well THAT'S not worrisome at all /s

 **tunnel conqueror:** ughhhh i just want answers

 **tunnel conqueror:** jon i dont think you're wrong

 **tunnel conqueror:** we're spiraling into something

 **tunnel conqueror:** i just wish we knew what

 **secretly savage:** We'd better figure it out then

 **secretly savage:** We've already started sorting like statements into piles, we're making some progress

 **secretly savage:** And with the four of us working on it together i know we can do it

 **tunnel conqueror:** most of the time it doesn't feel like "working on it", it feels like stumbling around in the dark until we bump into something

 **tunnel conqueror:** no until something bumps into _us_

 **loved!:** ...yeah

 **loved!:** but like martin said we're stumbling around together

 **loved!:** and i love us for it

 **loved!:** and i love all of _you_

 **tunnel conqueror:** we love you too

 **loved!:** i know :)

 **tunnel conqueror:** you're too cheeky for your own good, stoker

 **loved!:** i know :))


	7. answers are coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jon has some conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hoo boy canon really did went bye-bye huh

_Contact “_ **_Antonio Blake_ ** _” has been added._

**Jonathan Sims:** Hello, is this Antonio Blake?

 **Jonathan Sims:** Or the person who went by that name when they came to the Institute?

 **Jonathan Sims:** Sorry, this is very weird

 **Jonathan Sims:** Not the name thing

 **Jonathan Sims:** Just the fact that I'm doing this in the first place

 **Jonathan Sims:** I have reasoning for it but I meant from your perspective it must be weird

 **Jonathan Sims:** I'm going to stop rambling now

 **Jonathan Sims:** Sorry

 **Antonio Blake:** ...who is this

 **Jonathan Sims:** Oh

 **Jonathan Sims:** Jonathan Sims

 **Antonio Blake:** that doesn't really answer my question

 **Jonathan Sims:** Sorry I'm the new head archivist

 **Antonio Blake:** you're the archivist?

 **Jonathan Sims:** At the Magnus Institute yes

 **Jonathan Sims:** Although the others are technically assistant archivists so I'm not the only archivist just the only head archivist

 **Antonio Blake:** you're rambling again

 **Jonathan Sims:** Oh

 **Jonathan Sims:** Sorry

 **Antonio Blake:** but uh that's not what i meant by the archivist thing

 **Jonathan Sims:** What did you mean?

 **Antonio Blake:**...i'm starting to think that my assumption about how you got this number may have been wrong

 **Jonathan Sims:** I just got it from the statement form

 **Jonathan Sims:** You said your name and address were fake and I assumed the number was too but there didn't seem to be harm in trying it

 **Antonio Blake:** i promise you that number was fake

 **Jonathan Sims:** It's the one that I'm talking to right now...

 **_Jonathan Sims_ ** _is typing..._

 **Jonathan Sims:** I just looked at the statement form and the number I typed in is definitely not the one you wrote

 **Jonathan Sims:** I was so sure it was, I only had to glance at it to know I was typing in the right numbers

 **Jonathan Sims:** I'm sorry, I'm a bit confused right now

 **Antonio Blake:** you didn't type in the number i had put down, you typed in the number you knew i would have

 **Antonio Blake:** and apparently didn’t realize this fact

 **Jonathan Sims:** But I wouldn't have known it from anywhere

 **Antonio Blake:** you don't need to you're the archivist

 **Jonathan Sims:** I don't understand

 **_Antonio Blake_ ** _is typing..._

 **Antonio Blake:** i'm beginning to see that

 **Antonio Blake:** why did you contact me

 **Jonathan Sims:** I...okay

 **Jonathan Sims:** I was hoping you would know something about Gerard Keay?

 **Antonio Blake:** the name sounds a bit familiar but i don't know anything

 **Antonio Blake:** why contact me?

 **Jonathan Sims:** It’s a foolish reason, honestly

 **Antonio Blake:** i put a lot of effort into making sure no one knew this number and for good reason and you didn't even have to think before contacting me through it

 **Antonio Blake:** i think i deserve a little explanation

 **Jonathan Sims:** He's in a lot of statements. He's connected to Leitners and eye imagery, the former of which I've been looking for answers to for a long time and the latter of which is seeming more and more relevant by the day. So I’ve been looking into him

 **Jonathan Sims:** And he's presumably dead

 **Jonathan Sims:** Perhaps I'm overstepping, but based on your statement, you seem to have a better look into death than most people

 **Antonio Blake:**...what are you hoping to get from me exactly

 **Jonathan Sims:** We did research on him. Brain tumour, but his body apparently disappeared before anything could be done with it

 **Jonathan Sims:** So I had some hope that he wasn't dead after all

 **Jonathan Sims:** It doesn't seem entirely out of the realm of possibility, given...everything

 **Antonio Blake:** i checked he's not

 **Jonathan Sims:** Wait really?

 **Antonio Blake:** yeah

 **Antonio Blake:** you're welcome

 **Jonathan Sims:** How could you tell?

 **Antonio Blake:** you're the one who had so much faith in me without having ever spoken to me, you figure it out

 **Antonio Blake:** and don't ask me any more questions. i'm not in the habit of giving answers to...people who don't ask politely, and you're very close to crossing that line

 **Jonathan Sims:** I don't...

 **Jonathan Sims:** I gave you more explanation than necessary, I...would appreciate it if you explained some things to me in return

 **Antonio Blake:** i'd rather not get in the middle of that

 **Antonio Blake:** you've got the answer you originally wanted, be grateful i gave you that much

 **_Jonathan Sims_ ** _is typing…_

 **Jonathan Sims:** Okay.

**Jonathan Sims:** Thank you

 **Jonathan Sims:** For the answer

 **Jonathan Sims:** About Gerard

 **Antonio Blake:** no need to start rambling again

 **Antonio Blake:** but you're welcome

  
  


**_Unknown number_ ** _to_ **_Jonathan Sims_ **

**Unknown number:** I heard you were asking around about me?

 **Jonathan Sims:** Excuse me?

 **Unknown number:** You. Were asking. About me. Yeah?

 **Jonathan Sims:** Who is this?

 **Unknown number:** Gerard Keay?

 **Jonathan Sims:** Oh

 **Jonathan Sims:** OH

 **Jonathan Sims:** Sorry, sorry

 **Jonathan Sims:** I did not expect...to hear from you?

 **Jonathan Sims:** I was considering you even being alive to be a high bar, honestly

 **Jonathan Sims:** Sorry, how did you even get my number?

 **Jonathan Sims:** I'm beginning to understand how Antonio Blake felt

 **Unknown number:** Has anyone ever told you you ramble a lot?

 **Unknown number:** And who's that

 **Jonathan Sims:** Sorry, it happens when I'm nervous and don't know what to say

 **Jonathan Sims:** That second question is a very good one, actually

 **Unknown number:** Lol why are you nervous should I not have messaged you

 **Jonathan Sims:** No no I'm very glad you did

 **Jonathan Sims:** It’s just that I've only heard about you through statements? And you've always come across as quite mysterious in them

 **Jonathan Sims:** Somewhat larger than life

 **Unknown number:** Kskdjfjg okay then

 **Unknown number:** I didn't realize I was that much of a celebrity to the Institute

 **Jonathan Sims:** Well, really just to me

 **Jonathan Sims:** That...sounded a lot less weird in my head

 **Unknown number:** I'll take it as an only-slightly-weird compliment

 **Jonathan Sims:** Good, then

 **Jonathan Sims:** Ah, I'm the head archivist, Jonathan Sims

 **Unknown number:** I know

 **Jonathan Sims:** I...see

 **Unknown number:** So. You. Asking around. About me

 **Jonathan Sims:** Right, sorry, sorry

 **Jonathan Sims:** I hadn't thought this far ahead, if I'm being honest

 **Jonathan Sims:** I just...you seemed like the kind of person who would have answers

 **Unknown number:** You're going to need to be more specific than that

 **Jonathan Sims:** For one, Leitners

 **Jonathan Sims:** Supernatural things in general, really

 **Jonathan Sims:** And Smirke's presumed classification system? Although I'd be surprised if anyone besides Tim cared to know much about it

 **Jonathan Sims:** I think he's been getting closer to it, though, so that's not a big deal

 **Jonathan Sims:** In the context of this conversation, I mean

 **Jonathan Sims:** Also, I do have quite a few questions about you specifically, but of course those aren't necessary, unless your eye tattoos and apparent resurrection are relevant topics

 **Unknown number:** Okay slow down for a second

 **Unknown number:** I was not expecting this

 **Jonathan Sims:** I'm sorry, you don't have to answer anything if you'd rather not

 **Unknown number:** No, I just thought the new archivist would know a lot more than you seem to

 **Unknown number:** And I was kind of expecting you to be more like Gertrude

 **Jonathan Sims:** Wait, Gertrude Robinson?

 **Jonathan Sims:** You knew Gertrude Robinson?

 **Unknown number:** I'm sensing more questions coming on

 **Jonathan Sims:** I'll...try to refrain

 **Unknown number:** Just give me a minute to go down the list lmao

 **Jonathan Sims:** Really?

 **Unknown number:** Yeah why not

 **Jonathan Sims:** I'm not exactly used to answers coming this easily

 **Unknown number:** Well I don't have anything better to do at the moment so you get them congrats

 **Unknown number:** Leitners are supernatural books that were collected by a stupid, stupid man

 **Unknown number:** Jurgen Leitner, as you could probably guess

 **Unknown number:** Stay away from them

 **Jonathan Sims:** How would one destroy them?

 **Unknown number:** Burning works in quite a few cases. Locking them up, throwing them into the sea...it really depends on what sort they are

 **Unknown number:** And obviously if you don't open it there shouldn’t be much need to destroy it

 **Jonathan Sims:** You seemed to feel the need to destroy a couple

 **Unknown number:** Yeah I got a lot of those fuckers

 **Unknown number:** The problem is that you generally can't expect your average person to not open whatever one they've stumbled across

 **Unknown number:** So. Bye-bye, fucked up books

 **Unknown number:** Next thing: tell me what you know so far about the...supernatural

 **Jonathan Sims:** It exists, for one

 **Jonathan Sims:** It's generally malevolent

 **Jonathan Sims:** We've been trying to classify statements into general themes because Tim thinks the classification system Robert Smirke mentioned is important, but he hasn't been able to find further writings on it so we honestly don't really know what we're doing

 **Unknown number:** Oh lol that's because I burned them

 **Jonathan Sims:** Excuse me?

 **Unknown number:** Smirke's writings about classifying supernatural entities? Burned those fuckers

 **Unknown number:** Went up a lot easier than most Leitners, too

 **Jonathan Sims:** But

 **Jonathan Sims:** _Why_

 **Jonathan Sims:** We've been looking for answers to so many questions

 **_Jonathan Sims_ ** _is typing…_

 **Jonathan Sims:** The papers existed but they're gone?

 **Unknown number:** Smirke had answers, but not necessarily the right ones

 **Unknown number:** He figured the entities that occasionally poke through into our world could be separated into fourteen distinct categories

 **Unknown number:** And I'm sorry that you'd rather have everything laid out all neat and tidy like that, but it's bullshit

 **Unknown number:** Sure, there are some clear-cut cases where his Fourteen come in handy, but the entities aren't just "supernatural things that provoke types of fear," they ARE our fear. Every bit of it

 **Unknown number:** Some say the lines between the entities blur every once in a while, i say there aren't any lines at all

 **Jonathan Sims:** Sorry, entities?

 **_Unknown number_ ** _is typing…_

 **Unknown number:** You know I really don't want to be the one to explain this to you

 **Unknown number:** But you're in pretty deep already and, again, I unfortunately have nothing better to do tonight

 **Unknown number:** Can I call you? It'll be faster that way

_Call with_ **_unknown number_ ** _lasted 34 minutes and 51 seconds._

_Contact " **Gerry** " has been added._   
  


**the superiority of puzzle metaphors, an essay b**

**leitner hater:** We may have been putting together the wrong puzzle.

**tunnel conqueror:** wym??

**_leitner hater_ ** _ is typing… _

**leitner hater:** I didn't realize it was so late at night. I'll explain tomorrow

**tunnel conqueror:** jon you know i love you but if you say something like that and then disappear i will murder you /j but angy

**leitner hater:** Love you too

**tunnel conqueror:** jon.

 **tunnel conqueror:** ...jon?

  
 **tunnel conqueror:** welp


	8. answers are...slowly coming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, sorry for the late update!!  
> also, i made a couple minor edits to the last chapter--just fixed the chat name and nicknames and added the line "contact 'gerry' has been added" right after the phone call like i had meant to (brain was not working when i wrote it ig)  
> this chapter feels kinda messy? hopefully the next one will sort things out a bit. anyway, thanks for reading!

**the superiority of puzzle metaphors, an essay b**

**tunnel conqueror:** tiiiim where are u

**loved!:** i told you i’m getting coffee!

**secretly savage:** It’s been like an hour

**loved!:** the line is really long :(

**tunnel conqueror:** and this has nothing to do with you not wanting to come into work today?

**loved!:** gasp how dare you suggest such a thing no it does not

**loved!:** except slightly it does because i am Tired and sorting through more ancient papers that won’t get us anywhere does not sound fun atm

**tunnel conqueror:** well while you’ve been standing in an hour-long line at the coffee shop, elias came down a minute ago

**loved!:** ??

**loved!:** he usually only visits when there’s cake

**tunnel conqueror:** yeah which is...kind of weird now that i think about it

**loved!:** what did he say

**loved!:** wait what did you say about me not being there

**secretly savage:** I don’t think he’s noticed you’re not here

**loved!:** he?? forgot about me????

**tunnel conqueror:** better than him knowing you’re over an hour late

**loved!:** oh

**loved!:** true

**loved!:** but still :////

**loved!:** so what’s he saying

**loved!:** guys?

**secretly savage:** Sorry he’s talking to jon right now but he keeps glancing over and we have to act like we’re not on our phones

**secretly savage:** It sounds kind of like an informal progress report?

**secretly savage:** He thinks we should be doing more follow-up

**tunnel conqueror:** ”you mentioned that statement to me the other day...what was it? carlos vittery? i have to wonder why you havent looked into it more”

**secretly savage:** Woah you type fast

**loved!:** what a critical bitch

**secretly savage:** Oh god he just shot me the most intense look and i had a mini heart attack

**tunnel conqueror:** lol

**secretly savage:** Rude :(

**tunnel conqueror** : <3

**tunnel conqueror:** ”is there a specific reason we should be looking into that one?” “oh nothing i just thought someone with your experiences would be  _ intrigued  _ by the spiders” what is he going on about

**tunnel conqueror:** ”in any case you’ve been doing good work down here. i hope you continue on your course of knowledge” i hadn’t realized just how pretentious this man is

**secretly savage:** Okay he’s gone

**leitner hater:** Does Tim really deserve updates for procrastinating at a coffee shop?

**loved!:** i’m getting you a latte shut up /lh

**leitner hater:** Oh, wonderful

**loved!:** so? where are my updates

**tunnel conqueror:** you’re very demanding

**loved!:** sashaaaaaa

**leitner hater:** Updates: Elias is not to be trusted.

**loved!:** woah you flipped quick on that one

**leitner hater:** He knows more than he should

**loved!:** wym

**leitner hater:** Sasha’s right, the cake thing is weird

**tunnel conqueror:** sure but um not “he is not to be trusted” weird?

**leitner hater:** And I never mentioned Carlos Vittery’s statement to him

**leitner hater:** Even if I had, how would he know how much follow-up we had done on it?

**tunnel conqueror:** yeah no this does seem kinda sketchy

**secretly savage:** So what are you saying?

**secretly savage:** Does he have access to jon’s statement notes or something?

**leitner hater:** That wouldn't explain the spiders comment

**leitner hater:** I think he just...knows

**secretly savage:** I'm um confused

**tunnel conqueror:** wait what WAS the spider thing about

**leitner hater:** I...had an encounter with a Leitner when I was eight

**_leitner hater_ ** _ is typing… _

**leitner hater:** There were spiders involved

**leitner hater:** I've only ever told three people and he is most definitely not one of them

**tunnel conqueror:** you what???

**loved!:** that explains why you hate both leitners and spiders so much lmao

**secretly savage:** And it was supernatural?

**leitner hater:** Obviously

**secretly savage:** Sorry sorry i just

**secretly savage:** I don't know, i've started associating supernatural stuff with this place

**secretly savage:** It's easy to think of it as real here

**secretly savage:** But something that happened decades ago far away from the institute (i'm assuming) feels a lot more detached? i guess?

**secretly savage:** I'm still. adjusting to all of this

**secretly savage:** Sorry, i'm not making much sense

**tunnel conqueror:** no i get it

**loved!:** "decades" you hear that jon? you're old now pfff

**leitner hater:** Technically it  _ was _ decades, Tim

**loved!:** yeah like barely two

**secretly savage:** How old are you??

**leitner hater:** Irrelevant

**tunnel conqueror:** ok ok wait what did the leitner do i am Curious

**leitner hater:** Also irrelevant

**loved!:** well nice to know i'm not the only one here who's had a fucked up supernatural encounter

**tunnel conqueror:** _you what_????

**tunnel conqueror:** i am begging both of you for more details

**loved!:** actually i

**loved!:** think i'd like to make a statement about it

**loved!:** figure it's about time i tell you guys

**loved!:** it's why i started working here after all

**loved!:** i'm almost to the institute btw

**leitner hater:** ...If you're sure you want to

**loved!:** yeah why not

**loved!:** oh fuck

**loved!:** jon don't kill me

**leitner hater:** What did you do

**loved!:** more like what i didn't haha

**leitner hater:** Tim please tell me you have my latte

**loved!:** iiiiiiii may or may not have forgotten it

**leitner hater:** Timothy :/

**loved!:** jonathan :(

**loved!:** okay i'm here

**loved!:** you can have my latte? /g

**leitner hater:** :)

**tunnel conqueror:** can we

**tunnel conqueror:** actually talk about stuff

**tunnel conqueror:** what jon said last night

**tunnel conqueror:** and the elias thing

**tunnel conqueror:** and the...idk there's just...everything and no explanations and i

**tunnel conqueror:** i just feel pretty overwhelmed and frustrated rn

**tunnel conqueror:** which also means i cant talk verbally atm, sorry

**leitner hater:** Of course

**leitner hater:** I'm sorry, I see now how vague comments would be difficult for the people receiving them

**leitner hater:** Could you all come back into my office? I wasn't sure quite how to explain it earlier but something happened yesterday

**secretly savage:** Be right there, just want to finish this up first

**loved!:** coming

**tunnel conqueror:** same

**leitner hater:** Actually

**leitner hater:** Maybe it would be better to do this outside of the Institute

**loved!:** concept: coffee shop

**leitner hater:** Absolutely

**secretly savage:** Sure I guess

**loved!:** lattes :D

**secretly savage:** You guys like lattes way too much

**loved!:** :O

**secretly savage:** I'm just saying! It's a bit weird

**loved!:** :OOO

**loved!:** marto do you,,, not like coffee

**secretly savage:** I make tea all the time?? of course i don't like coffee????

**loved!:** i don't know if i can forgive you for this /j

**leitner hater:** No, that's fair

**leitner hater:** Coffee doesn't exactly taste good

**loved!:** darling what are you  _ saying _

**tunnel conqueror:** jon you drink it all the time

**leitner hater:** I need caffeine

leitner hater: That doesn't mean it's not disgusting

**loved!:** j o n NO

**loved!:** that's why you dump in oodles of sugar and cream

**loved!:** then it's delicious and deserves no slander

**tunnel conqueror:** what i'm getting from this is that literally none of you like coffee

**tunnel conqueror:** i'm going to suggest something and i know it's crazy but just bear with me /s

**tunnel conqueror:** why don't we  _ not go to a coffee shop _

**secretly savage:** ...I know a good tea place a few blocks down

**leitner hater:** That's probably a better idea yes

**loved!:** sigh i mean i'm not opposed

**loved!:** i think i know where you’re talking about, i’ll go ahead to it and order some drinks

**tunnel conqueror:** do you know what to get

**loved!:** eh i’m sure i can figure it out

**loved!:** i’ll make my best educated guesses

**tunnel conqueror:** yeah no im coming with you

**loved!:** you have such little faith in me /lh

**tunnel conqueror:** my drink of choice is too complicated for your little mind to handle stoker /j

**loved!:** very well very well

**leitner hater:** I’ll stay here until Martin finishes up

**secretly savage:** Sorry to hold you back, i just wanted to get the rest of my notes on this statement down real quick

**secretly savage:** Oh by the way jon it’s one that mentions gerard keay

**leitner hater:** What?

**secretly savage:** You asked us to let you know if we found anything?

**leitner hater:** Oh

**leitner hater:** Ah

**leitner hater:** Yes

**leitner hater:** Well

**leitner hater:** Good

**secretly savage:** ...jon?

**leitner hater:** Knock on my office door when you’re done with those notes

**secretly savage:** Jon…

**leitner hater:** Coffee shop. Explanations. I promise

**tunnel conqueror:** tea shop!

**leitner hater:** *Tea shop

**loved!:** sasha you walk too fast slow dooooownnnn

**tunnel conqueror:** you have short legs :/

**loved!:** yes this is fact??

**loved!:** but i don’t think it means you gotta leave me in the dust ms james

**tunnel conqueror:** _ i _ think it means you better run cause im not slowing down

**secretly savage:** Okay done

**leitner hater:** Wait up for us, you can’t be too far from the Institute already

**tunnel conqueror:** better :) run :)

**tunnel conqueror:** oop im here, see you guys when you get here <3

**secretly savage:** Tall person solidarity <3

**loved!:** tall people tsk tsk

**leitner hater:** Short person solidarity <3

**loved!:** <3!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please lmk if there's an issue in how i handled sasha being nonverbal! and that goes for anything in this fic, don't hesitate to point out if i could have written something better :)


	9. a little elaboration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fear soup babey!!!!!!!!!!!! i have had these thoughts inside me for a Long Time and now jon has become the avatar of my fear soup agenda. i'm at the same url on tumblr if you wanna chat about it (or anything else) with me  
> today is not wednesday this is true but we'll be going back to that schedule now that it's winter break. thanks for reading!

**the superiority of puzzle metaphors, an essay b**

**loved!:** i know we're supposed to be working right now and also not talk about the tea shop shit within the institute but i can't focus on anything else

**_secretly savage_ ** _ has renamed the chat to " _ **_tea shop shit_ ** _ " _

**tunnel conqueror:** lordie

**leitner hater:** It's as good a temporary name as any

**tunnel conqueror:** is it

**tunnel conqueror:** is it really

**loved!:** okay but jon

**loved!:** tell me again what they said about smirke?

**leitner hater:** I simplified it earlier, but I believe the exact quote was something along the lines of "He's a bitch-ass motherfucker who couldn't get past his huge Victorian ego enough to even begin to comprehend that everything in the natural world has infinitely more complexity and nuance than a list of labels will allow"

**secretly savage:** Damn

**tunnel conqueror:** presidential alert the boys' celebrity crushes are fightingggggggg

**loved!:** but despite that, they told you what those labels were, you gave me a list and everything

**loved!:** and they seem to fit the statements really well

**loved!:** timothy hodge's is corruption

**loved!:** carlos vittery's is the web

**loved!:** and the institute itself is obviously connected to the eye which explains so much

**loved!:** plus didn't they say gertrude followed the system of fourteen

**loved!:** it was clearly useful

**loved!:** i just still don't get why it's a bad thing

**leitner hater:** Here's my understanding of it

**leitner hater:** It's not a bad thing. In fact, it can be extremely useful

**leitner hater:** Like you said, the Institute and Elias have clear connections to the Eye that explain the feeling of being watched, how Elias knows about things he shouldn't, his fixation on the part of the Institute that literally connects knowledge…

**leitner hater:** And then there's the cultish activity, like the People's Church of the Divine Host and whatever was happening at Hither Green Chapel, both of which can be placed as the Dark

**leitner hater:** Gerard also mentioned the cult of the Lightless Flame, which apparently worships the Desolation

**leitner hater:** And yes, some statements are fairly clear-cut, like the hunting trip one, which is self-explanatory

**leitner hater:** But like Gerard said, fundamentally it's too complex to be sorted into boxes

**leitner hater:** Or perhaps too simple

**leitner hater:** The entities and their influence...it shouldn't be defined by "supernatural occurrences that belong to different entities"

**leitner hater:** They are  _ literally our fear _

**leitner hater:** Every single time someone gets scared, it feeds the entities. And fear itself can't be boiled down to fourteen categories

**leitner hater:** Not only that, but I'd imagine this means that even if something supernatural directly connected to an entity affects someone, depending on what they're afraid of it might end up feeding a completely different entity

**leitner hater:** And the reason one entity is feared may be related to another. Someone might be afraid of being hunted because it involves death, or irrational violence, or inhumanity, as well as the actual hunt. There are layers

**leitner hater:** As for the examples you used 

**leitner hater:** Jane Prentiss is clearly connected to the Corruption, and it was a big part of Timothy Hodge's statement

**leitner hater:** But he ended up burning down his apartment and all of his possessions, and that kind of loss sounds like the Desolation

**leitner hater:** One could even make a point for the Web, looking at how it all played out

**leitner hater:** And Carlos Vittery was dealing with spiders, which are sometimes a representation of the Web, yes, but do you honestly think that your average person is afraid of spiders because of manipulation and loss of control? His statement spoke more of Corruption

**leitner hater:** There was even a point where he mentioned the spider watching him being a source of fear, which is an Eye thing

**leitner hater:** And of course there are many statements and parts of statements that can't be categorized at all

**leitner hater:** I think the colour metaphor makes a lot of sense. We put them into categories but fundamentally there aren't distinguishing boundaries between them. Our labels are helpful when we see something clearly green or blue or red, but they're also arbitrary, when it comes to red and pink, or all the shades in between gray and blue, or...you get the gist

**leitner hater:** In the end, Smirke's Fourteen just doesn't accurately apply to statements, supernatural experiences in general, regular experiences that involve fear, people connected to the entities like me, and the entities themselves, which I severely doubt are separate beings from one another in a way that we could understand

**_loved!_ ** _ is typing… _

**loved!:** give me a minute or two or five thousand to process all that

**leitner hater:** Shit I didn't mean to ramble that much

**loved!:** nono it's fine

**loved!:** how many times have i infodumped to you about architecture and stuff /rh

**loved!:** and that seriously really helped me understand

**loved!:** way more than the condensed tea shop version

**leitner hater:** I...spent a lot of time thinking about it

**leitner hater:** I didn't get a lot of sleep last night

**leitner hater:** I'm glad it made sense. I think it may have scared off Sasha and Martin, though, they’ve been awfully quiet

**loved!:** they're just kinda staring blankly at their phones

**tunnel conqueror:** im here

**tunnel conqueror:** just wanted to let you finish before i said anything

**tunnel conqueror:** and im...not sure what to say?

**tunnel conqueror:** i'm still recovering from the initial conversation earlier today haha

**tunnel conqueror:** but i do wonder why gertrude used the fourteen

**leitner hater:** Like I said, there are cases where it's useful

**leitner hater:** And people who  _ worship _ the entities obviously make distinctions

**leitner hater:** People have a tendency to want things to fit neatly into boxes, because sometimes that makes the most sense

**secretly savage:** Jon?

**leitner hater:** Yes?

**secretly savage:** All of this is great and helpful and all but

**secretly savage:** What did you mean by people like you?

**leitner hater:** What?

**secretly savage:** You said "people connected to the entities like me".

**leitner hater:** ...Ah

**leitner hater:** Yes

**leitner hater:** I'm connected to the Institute

**leitner hater:** We all are

**secretly savage:** The whole we work here and probably can't quit even if we wanted to, yeah

**secretly savage:** But that wasn't what you meant was it? /g

**leitner hater:** No

**leitner hater:** Elias knows things

**secretly savage:** Yeah things that he wouldn't know otherwise the eye gives him bits of knowledge etc etc let's not change the subject

**leitner hater:** Martin.

**leitner hater:** Elias knows things

**leitner hater:** And so do I

**secretly savage:** Sorry, what?

**leitner hater:** I've started to, anyway

**leitner hater:** I knew the phone number of a statement giver

**leitner hater:** I knew Elias was coming down this morning before he ever got here

**leitner hater:** I knew the fucking sandwich type Sasha was eating yesterday, all five ingredients, and it took me half an hour to realize she'd never told me and was two streets down at the sandwich shop!

**secretly savage:** Okay

**secretly savage:** Okay

**secretly savage:** That isn't too crazy

**secretly savage:** I mean, we shouldn't be all that surprised

**secretly savage:** We talked about the institute having an effect on us just a few days ago

**secretly savage:** Do you think you're becoming...like elias, then?

**tunnel conqueror:** knowing random facts doesnt make jon into a creepy guy who worships an eldritch god

**leitner hater:** It's not just the knowing

**leitner hater:** It's the watching

**leitner hater:** Every time I go to sleep, I'm watching

**loved!:** jon i'm not in the same room as you but i know you well enough to know that you're probably panicking right now

**loved!:** take deep breaths. explain it in a way that we can understand

**leitner hater:** The statement givers

**leitner hater:** The ones who come in that I actually talk to?

**leitner hater:** When their statements are real I see them at night

**leitner hater:** I see what happened to them

**leitner hater:** They're reliving it in their nightmares, and I'm watching that in mine

**loved!:** oh shit

**leitner hater:** Tim

**loved!:** yeah

**leitner hater:** And Sasha

**tunnel conqueror:** god

**tunnel conqueror:** you're

**tunnel conqueror:** that's you

**leitner hater:** And Naomi Herne, Lionel Elliott…

**secretly savage:** Okay hang on a second

**secretly savage:** That sounds horrid and all but like. that's different from being awake and choosing to look at other rooms with an Ominous Presence? for several reasons?

**secretly savage:** And I mean. this still doesn't fall under "creepy guy who worships an eldritch god"

**secretly savage:** Sorry i know that probably wasn't very comforting

**secretly savage:** I'm going to go make some tea, i'll bring you some

**leitner hater:** No, it...helped put things into perspective a bit

**leitner hater:** It's just that…

**leitner hater:** Like I said, things aren't so distinct

**leitner hater:** I feel like I'm out of control

**leitner hater:** Like something has been drawing me in since I got this job

**leitner hater:** The statements and the need to  _ know _

**leitner hater:** And I don't know how much of it is being drawn in and how much is the choices  _ I'm _ making, letting myself fall deeper into it

**loved!:** by "things aren't so distinct" you mean you think your fear is connected to the web

**loved!:** and even the way you're tied to the institute is?

**leitner hater:** The Leitner when I was eight was of the Web

**leitner hater:** So maybe it started long before I took the job

**leitner hater:** Maybe I've always been meant to be the Archivist

**leitner hater:** Yes. My fear is very, very connected to Web

**leitner hater:** Feeding it, at the least

**leitner hater:** Perhaps induced by it in part

**leitner hater:** Which only makes me question myself more

**loved!:** yEP OKAY

**loved!:** you know what time it is?? time to not spiral!! because that seems like a very good way of helping those sketchy entities!!

**loved!:** i'm not putting any blame on you, to be clear

**loved!:** but i think moving to a different topic would be helpful right now

**loved!:** sound gucci?

**tunnel conqueror:** aww martin youre missing it

**secretly savage:** What?

**tunnel conqueror:** jon just came out of his office looking like he was about to cry and held his arms out for a hug

**tunnel conqueror:** and now they're just standing there hugging each other

**tunnel conqueror:** i want to join in but i dont want to ruin the moment

**secretly savage:** Lovely /g

**secretly savage:** I'm coming back now with tea

**tunnel conqueror:** no stay there im coming to the breakroom to help you carry it!!

**tunnel conqueror:** we dont need more mugs shattering on the floor

**secretly savage:** That was one time!

**tunnel conqueror:** it was my favorite mug >:(

**secretly savage:** I got you a new one...

**tunnel conqueror:** which id rather DIDN’T break

**secretly savage:** Just come help already if you're going to

**tunnel conqueror:** literally in front you of right now

**secretly savage:** Jdfjddhdjsh you scARED ME

**tunnel conqueror:** i noticed lmao

**tunnel conqueror:** okay let's get off our phones now?

**secretly savage:** Oh yeah um yeah

**loved!:** siiighhhh back to work alas :(

**loved!:** thanks for the tea, lovely <3

**secretly savage:** Did you just,, call me lovely,,,,

**loved!:** mayhap

**loved!:** if it made you uncomfy i wont do it again

**secretly savage:** Nonono it's um fine /g

**loved!:** okay sweetheart

**tunnel conqueror:** tim stop youre killing him (in a good way i think? but still)

**loved!:** why must i stop sasha darling

**tunnel conqueror:** akljf;djdklf

**leitner hater:** Tim.

**loved!:** yes, love?

**leitner hater:** ...Nothing

**loved!:** :)

**leitner hater:** I  _ would _ like to say that I love you all

**tunnel conqueror:** !! we love you too, bunches and bunches

**secretly savage:** ^^ What both of you said

**loved!:** <3333!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those who didn't get the title reference before, perhaps this has refreshed your memory  
> next chapter will be some fluff that is quite overdue <3 (and possibly a lot of angst?? we'll see how far we get)


End file.
